Joplin, Duquesne meet debris removal deadline

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) - Joplin and Duquesne (doo-KAIN) officials say a federal deadline for removal of debris left by the May 22 tornado has been met.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it would pay 90 percent of the debris removal costs from residential areas in the two cities if they were cleared by Sunday.

Joplin officials signed off on the work Sunday. Mayor Mike Woolston said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it had only some clearing of right-of-ways to complete. Duquesne officials signed off on the work in that city Friday.

The Joplin Globe reports (http://bit.ly/pfV62k ) that if the deadline had not been met, the federal match would have been reduced to 75 percent.

Monday is the deadline for debris to be cleared from commercial properties in Joplin.